New York Noise Complaints

July 27, 2017

It will come as no surprise to any New York resident that this buzzing city is getting louder and louder. As more and more people flood into New York City, and they continue to build high-rise buildings to accommodate newcomers, and more and more traffic suffocates the streets and subways, the noise pollution will continue to rise.

There’s not a lot that can be done about the sounds of men, women, and machines bustling about the city, but there is relief to some of New York’s most common culprits for noise complaints such as ambulance sirens, car horns, construction, and motorcycles.

Ambulance Sirens

People of New York seem to agree that the decibel levels on ambulance, police car, and fire truck sirens seem higher in New York than any other city. Arguably one of the loudest noises in New York, ambulance sirens are frequent and heard all throughout the night up to several blocks away. There was even a recent petition within the last year to lower ambulance siren volume, even if during hours of the night when there’s not as much competing noise. Although the petition gained traction and reached a government office, it was not strong even to support.

Car Horns

Car horns are one of the most constant sounds in New York City. If a light turns green, and your vehicle does not begin accelerating after 1 second, someone behind you is guaranteed to lay into their car horn. When pedestrians are crossing and the first car is waiting for clearance to turn, the subsequent cars will beep incessantly. The car horns are so never-ending that they fail to serve their actual purpose anymore.

Construction

Construction is always a good thing for the city, because it means structural improvements and changes; but you will be very unlucky if it happens to land around your office or worse, your home. And chances are it will, considering there is construction almost everywhere in New York. From the $4.5 billion subway line expansion to the Hudson Yards real estate development to the Essex Crossing development to the Cornell campus construction and so many other NY developments, there is construction noise all throughout the city.

Motorcycles

This may come as a surprise to some, but motorcycles and biker gangs can be a great nuisance to the city, especially during the months of spring and summer. The motorcycle gangs were getting so bad that in summer of 2016, “the city [had] launched an aggressive push to rid the city of the rogue motorcycle gangs that [threatened] drivers and pedestrians” (New York Local, CBS). Although there are more policies in place to reduce the danger and risk that motorcycles impose, their loud sound still carries through the city, reverberating off the high-rise buildings.

Noise Solutions

New York, we love you – but it’s difficult sometimes. As New York residents and visitors, we have to rely on noise-cancelling headphones to find peace as we walk the streets; and to aid sleep, maybe a white noise machine or loud fan to drown out the noise until a piercing EMS truck siren passes by our window.

Soundproof Windows

If you open your window, you can almost be guaranteed to experience interrupted sleep, interrupted thoughts and conversations, and polluted air. One much-needed trend that is sweeping the New York state are soundproof windows for your home, apartment, or business. Soundproof windows block up to 95% of outside noise, unwanted noise and significantly reduce incoming dirt and drafts.

It’s time to get your focus back and sleep soundly at night again. Do yourself a favor and invest in soundproof windows sooner rather than later, so you can protect the sanctity of your home or business before a construction project moves in your neighborhood or another siren passes by.

Call CitiQuiet Soundproof windows at 212-874-5362 for more information or request a window quote here. We look forward to soundproofing your space soon!